North Carolina GOP candidate combines drinking and firearms to entice supporters to attend fundraiser. Seriously, what could go wrong?

Courtesy of TPM:  

If you're really nice to North Carolina GOP candidate Jason "Molotov" Mitchell, he may let you fire off a few rounds of his custom AK-47, "The Liberator." 

The man running for state Senate in North Carolina's District 16 is planning a fundraiser on Sunday where supporters can come for the bullets and stay for the Bulleit. 

Entitled "Bullets and Bourbon," attendees are invited to shoot various rifles and shotguns before kicking back with Mitchell over drinks.

 "Take your turn firing the world famous AK-47, the AR-15, the super-cool KSG pump 12 gauge and other firearms!" Mitchell's campaign writes in a Facebook page advertising the event. 

"Fun fact: every one of the firearms listed are banned in at least one other state...but not in NC!" the description reads.

 Wow, combining guns with alcohol. I wonder if any guests will remain alive long enough to donate to his campaign?

But come on! Who does NOT want to contribute to man who chose as his middle name a word meaning an explosive combination of gasoline and fire used during violent political upheavals?

Unsurprisingly Mitchell is kind of an anarchist who is not only a birther, but also a homophobe who contributes to World Net Daily, and helped to create a fantasy film where black terrorists, calling themselves "Zulu 9," murder abortion doctors.

Oh yeah, this guy's a winner.

How in the hell is it that Sarah Palin has not endorsed his campaign already?

GOP Senate hopeful Dan Sullivan skips candidate forum in Alaska in exchange for attending fundraiser in his native Ohio.

Courtesy of the Washington Post:  

The day after Alaska Senate nominee Dan Sullivan (R) was criticized by Democratic Sen. Mark Begich's campaign for missing a candidate forum, he was spotted raising money in Cleveland, Ohio. Sullivan was raised in the Cleveland area and has faced Democratic attacks questioning his Alaskan credentials. 

Sullivan was spotted at The Union Club in Cleveland on Monday morning by American Bridge 21st Century, a Democratic opposition research firm. American Bridge shared video of Sullivan at the event with The Washington Post. Sullivan's campaign confirmed that he was there to raise money for his campaign.

So first Sullivan's parents contribute $300,000 to American Crossroads, obviously so that it can be given to their son, and then he skips town to avoid a candidate forum in Alaska in order to go to back to Ohio in search of MORE money for his campaign, to go along with the multiple millions already being spent on his behalf by outside interests such as Karl Rove and the Koch brothers.

Here's my question.

Why can't Sullivan find money to fund his campaign right here in Alaska?

I'll tell you why, because he is not one of us.

He is a fucking outsider, and he needs money from other outsiders in order to win our Senate seat.

Snoop Dogg offers to perform in Alaska once the state legalizes marijuana. Actually I bet a whole lot of bands offer to play up here once the proposition passes.

Courtesy of KTUU:  

Rapper and marijuana enthusiast Snoop Dogg has promised to perform a concert in Alaska if voters choose to legalize pot. 

The promise came during an episode of Snoop Dogg's GGN webcast in which he interviewed former KTVA Channel 11 reporter Charlo Greene about her on-air announcement that she owns the Alaska Cannabis Club. 

"If we get y'all to vote yes on Proposition 2, Snoop Dogg is coming to Alaska to do a concert, a wellness retreat concert, and I'm bringing some of that California with me to celebrate," Snoop says.

What some people failed to recognize about the Charlo Greene on-air "fuck it, I quit" comment, was that it would bring national attention and support to Alaska's attempt to legalize pot.

In fact Charlo's comment may play an instrumental part in helping us hang onto our lone Democratic Senator.

Right now we have two issues on the November ballot that should help turnout more young liberals in the state. One is Ballot Measure 3 which increases the minimum wage, and the other of course is Proposition 2.

Even though I think both of these issues essentially cross party lines in Alaska, conventional wisdom suggests that it is the liberals who are more likely to be drawn to the polls in support.

THAT could really help Senator Begich who is currently struggling in the polls, and help Alaska to hang onto the one Senator who is not firmly in the pocket of the oil companies.

At this point every little bit helps, and Greene's on air expletive might go down in history as having a significant effect on Alaska politics in 2014.

Fox News hosts make misogynistic comments about female pilot leading air strikes against ISIS. Military veterans write letter condemning them for it. Sarah Palin decides to defend them on Facebook. Just another day in the Right Wing bubble.

Okay so that was what happened on "The Five" last week.

In response sixty military veterans from the United States wrote the following open letter to Eric Bolling and Greg Gutfield. (Or as I call them, Pig 1 and Pig 2.)

Dear Mr. Bolling and Mr. Gutfeld, 

We are veterans of the United States armed forces, and we are writing to inform you that your remarks about United Arab Emirates Air Force Major Mariam Al Mansouri were unwarranted, offensive, and fundamentally opposed to what the military taught us to stand for. 

First, foremost, and most obvious to everyone other than yourselves, your remarks were immensely inappropriate. Your co-host Kimberly Guilfoyle was so right to call attention to an inspiring story of a woman shattering glass ceilings in a society where doing so is immeasurably difficult. We never heard an answer to her question: why did you feel so compelled to “ruin her thing?” 

As it turns out, women have been flying combat aircraft since before either of you were born. Over 1,000 Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) flew during World War II. Seeing as U.S. Army Air Forces Commander “Hap” Arnold said “Now in 1944, it is on the record that women can fly as well as men,” we can probably guess he thought their parking was adequate. The WASP legacy reaches into the present day; on 9/11, then Lt. Heather “Lucky” Penney scrambled her F-16. Completely unarmed, she was ready to lay down her own life to prevent further devastating attacks on American soil. 

Thus the skill of women as fighter pilots is well established. And before you jump to the standby excuse that you were “just making a joke” or “having a laugh,” let the men amongst our number preemptively respond: You are not funny. You are not clever. And you are not excused. Perhaps the phrase “boys will be boys”—inevitably uttered wherever misogyny is present—is relevant. Men would never insult and demean a fellow servicemember; boys think saying the word ‘boobs’ is funny. 

The less obvious implication of your remarks, however, is that by offending an ally and cheapening her contribution, you are actively hurting the mission. We need to send a clear message that anyone, male or female, who will stand up to ISIS and get the job done is worthy of our respect and gratitude. 

We issue an apology on your behalf to Major Al Mansouri knowing that anything your producers force you to say will be contrived and insincere. Major, we’re sincerely sorry for the rudeness; clearly, these boys don’t take your service seriously, but we and the rest of the American public do. 

Now you would think that conservatives, who are usually deifying the military, and republicans who are desperate to woo female voters, would join in this condemnation of what were clearly tasteless comments.

But if you thought that then must not have been paying attention lately.

Just a little over an hour ago Palin posted this:

Which links to a Spectator article that essentially attempts to smear the military veterans who participated in the writing of the letter by accusing them of being tools for the Obama administration.

In the article the point is made that the names of the veterans who signed the letter are "never identified." Which I found confusing, because at the bottom of the letter found on Business Insider was this list of names:  

U.S. Army: Michael Breen, Richard Wheeler, Aryanna Hunter, Welton Chang, Michael Smith, Matt Runyon, Jon Gensler, Scott Holcomb, Terron Sims II, Josh Weinberg, Daniel Savage, Matt Pelak, LaRue Robinson, Anthony Woods, Dustin Cathcart, Kayla Williams, Dan Espinal, Jonathan Hopkins, Andy Moore, Kevin Johnson, Brett Hunt, Russell Galeti, Mick Crnkovich, Jonathan Freeman, Dan Hartnett, Dan Futrell, Matt Zeller, Jason Cain, Adam Tiffen, Sharmistha Mohpatra, Justin Graf, Lach Litwer. 

U.S. Navy: Shawn VanDiver, Andrea Marr, Kristen Kavanaugh, Leo Cruz, Scott Cheney-Peters, Margot Beausey, Tony Johnson, Gail Harris, Alex Cornell du Houx. 

U.S. Marine Corps: Geoff Orazem, Gordon Griffin, Timothy Kudo, Jonathan Murray, Richard Weir, Rob Miller, Sonia Fernandez, John Margolick, Katelyn Geary van Dam, Rob Bracknell, Andrew Borene, William Allen. 

U.S. Air Force: Kelsey Campbell, Erik Brine, Chris Finan, Robert Mishev, Karen Courington. 

U.S. National Guard: Kristen Rouse. 

If they are trying to hide their identities they really suck at it. 

But in the end, to quote our next President, "At this point, what difference does it make?"

Now I have no confidence that this Jeffrey Lord of the Spectator has all of his facts right, but even if each and every one of the veterans who signed that letter were Democrats who all voted for Obama, does that change the points they made in the letter? Does it minimize the fact that what the Fox News hosts said was incredibly insulting to women serving in the military, and women in general?

No, it doesn't.

And one would think, regardless of a woman's political point of view, that they would be unified in their disgust at the remarks made by Bolling and Gutfeld.

Which kind of illustrates just how out of touch Sarah Palin is with her gender.

Time and time again she chooses ideology over biology, putting her partisan viewpoints before any support or even empathy for her gender.

More often than not it seems that Palin is almost in denial of her own sexual identity, and disconnected from the struggles that women have gone through in order to provide the opportunities that she has taken full advantage of in her lifetime.

And this, this was who the Republicans chose to represent women all over the country as the first elected female Vice President.

Gee, what a bummer that didn't work out for them.

The city of Ferguson is requesting outlandish fees before handing records over to reporters investigating the shooting of Michael Brown. Now why does that sound familiar?

Courtesy of the AP:

Officials in Ferguson, Missouri, are charging nearly 10 times the cost of some of their own employees' salaries before they will agree to turn over files under public records laws about the fatal shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown. 

Missouri's attorney general on Monday, after the AP first disclosed the practice, contacted Ferguson's city attorney to ask for more information regarding fees related to document requests, the attorney general's spokeswoman said. 

The move to charge high fees discourages journalists and civil rights groups from investigating the shooting and its aftermath. And it follows dozens of records requests to Ferguson under the state's Sunshine Law, which can offer an unvarnished look into government activity. 

The city has demanded high fees to produce copies of records that, under Missouri law, it could give away free if it determined the material was in the public's interest to see. Instead, in some cases, the city has demanded high fees with little explanation or cost breakdown.

Well that is outlandish, and I think with more public scrutiny the city will be forced to change these outrageous demands or risk attracting even more negative attention. Which at this time they can ill afford.

However as I was reading that I realized that I was suddenly having a case of deja vu.

And I am not the only one, as the AP reported a little further down the page:

Other governments also have demanded spectacular fees. During the 2008 presidential campaign, for instance, news organizations asked for emails belonging to former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the former Republican vice presidential nominee. 

The Anchorage Press said officials at first wanted $6,500 in search fees, leading the newspaper to withdraw its request. Thousands of pages of those emails were ultimately provided to news organizations for about $725 in copying charges.

Oh hells yeah! Who could forget all of that hullabaloo back in the days before Palin finally threw up her hands and quit?

Remember how they quoted a price to the AP of over 15 million for the emails?

Ultimately of course the state had to cave to the pressure, but it certainly gave Palin and her minions plenty to time to redact anything that might have actually proven newsworthy.

I wonder if the city of Ferguson is taking a page from that same playbook?

John Oliver's report on America's use of drones is a must see.

I know I am supposed to be a mindless Obama zombie, or something like that, but in my opinion this is a very serious situation that needs to be publicized and opened for debate.

Like a lot of Americans I have a number of mixed feelings when it comes to drones.

On the one hand they allow us to take out bad guys with little or no risk to our soldiers, but on the other hand we are asked to place an almost overwhelming amount of faith in our ability to gather solid intelligence on possibly dangerous terrorists, faith that others killed in an attack against a target are ALSO bad guys, and confidence that the drones are being handled by well trained experts and not simply by young soldiers who just so happen to have logged a lot of hours on Playstation playing "War Thunder."

Your thoughts?

You know we have not reported on China for quite some time, I wonder how things are going there? Is that tear gas I smell? Update!

Courtesy of the New York Times:  

A wave of protest in Hong Kong further engulfed the city on Monday as thousands of residents defied a government call to abandon street blockades, students boycotted classes and the city’s influential bar association added its condemnation of a police crackdown on protesters. 

The continued public resistance underscored the difficulties that the Hong Kong government faces in defusing widespread anger that erupted on Sunday, after the police used tear gas, pepper spray and batons to break up a three-day sit-in by students and other residents demanding democratic elections in the semiautonomous Chinese territory. 

On Monday afternoon, the Hong Kong government canceled the city’s annual fireworks show to mark China’s National Day, which falls on Wednesday — an implicit acknowledgment that officials expect the protests to continue for days.

The protesters are seeking fully democratic elections for the city's leaders in 2017, and they appear to be fairly determined.

Don't you just love the smell of revolution in the morning?

Update: Here is aerial footage of the protests. Pretty damn impressive. 

From CNN to Robert Zimmerman, "You and your brother are monsters."

GQ has published a rather comprehensive piece on George Zimmerman and his family, which you can find here.

Here are a few excerpts.

On plans to turn George into a reality star right after George's not guilty verdict:

(Zimmerman's brother) Robert's ultimate goal was to turn George into a reality-TV star. His models were John Walsh, who began hosting America's Most Wanted after his 6-year-old son was abducted and killed, and the Kardashians, whose fame was launched by Kim's leaked sex tape. "I learn a lot from watching Keeping Up with the Kardashians," Robert told me. "Like, use the shit you've got." One idea was for George to be the focus of a Candid Camera-style program. One episode, for example, might feature a professor teaching a class about self-defense, and at the end of the episode it would be revealed—surprise!—that George was one of the students.

On why an interview with Fox's Sean Hannity fell through:  

First, Fox News expected the brothers to fly to New York. That would require George to show his ID at the airport, possibly to a black person. No way, Robert said. Even worse, the network wanted them to fly on February 26, the second anniversary of the incident. Robert tried explaining to a Hannity producer why that couldn't work: "It is like 9/11 for my family! We can't travel together that day—it's like having the whole royal family travel together!" Robert had a better, safer plan: He wanted Fox News to pay for the brothers, plus a full security detail, to drive the 1,100 miles from central Florida. About halfway, they'd need three hotel rooms—one for Robert, one for George, one for the security team—at a place with room service so that George wouldn't have to be out in public. 

Fox News said no. Rebranding the Zimmermans would have to wait.

On the Zimmerman family's paranoia:  

The hotel-hopping went on for nearly two months, until Bob (Zimmerman's father) found a 1,200-square-foot two-bedroom house for rent on Craigslist in a nearby subdivision where most of the homes had been lost to foreclosure. In other words: cheap and very few neighbors. 

There, the family formalized new security protocols. They watched the movie Argo to learn how to live like CIA. Code names for everyone. No mail delivered to the house. No visitors. No talking to the few neighbors they had. No long phone conversations—keep it short and vague to outwit surveillance. Never discuss your whereabouts via phone or text. Keep a weapon close by at all times. Robert slept with his gun. Still does. 

And in case someone—or multiple someones—decided to mount an attack on the house, the Zimmermans pre-packed their own "go-bags" filled with everything they would need to flee in a rush, as well as what they called "footballs"—like the one President Obama has with the nuclear codes—that contained laptops, cell phones, and other essential electronics. 

They also memorized a color-coded threat-ID system. Code blue: Law enforcement at the door. Code brown: Draw your weapons. Code black: Come out guns blazing.

On sticking CNN with a huge hotel bill:

The Zimmermans seized on their brief stint of subsidized luxury. They ran up a big room-service bill, cleaned out the minibars, got their clothes laundered, made several trips to the spa, treated a party of ten to dinner at the hotel restaurant, and bought swag—from bracelets to bath fizzies—at the gift shop. 

Toward the end of their stay, according to Robert, a manager presented him with a bill for $3,600. He says he called CNN, outraged, only to have the producer accuse them of splurging shamelessly on CNN's dime. "You and your brother are evil!" he remembers her screaming. The hotel manager threatened to call the police. Alone in his room, Robert started shaking. He wrapped all the blankets around him, ordered shrimp, chain-smoked cigarettes, got roaring drunk. Nothing helped. He called his mother in a panic. "I can't get warm," he sobbed. "I just can't get warm." 

Unconsoled, Robert called the only person he could think of: Dr. Drew, who'd been kind to him when he went on Drew's TV show shortly before George's trial. He reached a producer, who told him Dr. Drew wasn't available. But the guy was nice, at least. He stayed on the phone awhile and talked Robert down. Eventually CNN agreed to pay the bill, and the next morning Robert returned the only purchases he could: a bottle of Mercedes-Benz cologne and a Ritz-Carlton wallet that George had bought him to say thanks.

Let me assure you that these are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the Zimmerman family lunacy. 

And keep in mind that THIS is who Fox News defended over and over again during the trial, and who has become a conservative hero since beating his murder charge after gunning down an unarmed teenage boy.

"Comedy is hard." The ladies of The View mock Palin for her Values Voters speech.

Courtesy of Mediaite:  

The co-hosts of ABC’s The View on Monday mocked former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin‘s weekend speech at the Values Voter Summit, wherein the former Republican vice presidential candidate mistakenly referred to the White House address as “1400 Pennsylvania Avenue.” 

During the speech, Palin cracked a joke about President Barack Obama‘s now-infamous “latte salute” and, when talking about the president’s current home, gave the wrong address. 

“She’s proving once again that comedy is difficult,” said Rosie O’Donnell after the show aired a clip from Palin’s speech.

As you see it is left to poor Nicolle Wallace to come to Palin's defense. Which I think we all  know must really burn her ass.

You know I predicted way back in 2009 that someday Palin's name would only turn up as a question on Jeopardy or the punch line to a joke.

Nice to see how close we are to those predictions coming true. 

Things get all Koched up during Iowa's first debate between GOP nominee Joni Ernst and Democrat Bruce Braley.

Courtesy of TPM:

The exchange grew tense during the final minutes after Braley referenced the Koch brothers. Ernst said: "Congressman Braley, you're not running against these other people, you're running against me. I am a mother, I am a soldier and I am an independent leader. You are being funded by Tom Steyer, who is a California billionaire extreme environmentalist." 

Braley retorted: "I realize that and President Obama's name is not on the ballot. And I'm not going to owe President Obama anything on Election Day. You're going to owe the Koch brothers everything."

Personally I think that was a solid hit on Braley's part, but  some of the morning cable news programs thought he was flailing in the wind and that the Koch brothers are still not well known enough to have their name work against Ernst.

And there maybe some validity in that as recent polls show Ernst up by six points:

Ernst leads 44 percent to 38 percent in a race that has for months been considered deadlocked. She leads nearly 4-1 with rural voters, and is up double digits with independents.

It is certainly not yet a done deal, and fortunes could certainly change, but right now it looks like at least one of Palin's endorsees has a real shot at ending up in the Senate, to join Ted Cruz and Mike Lee in gumming up the works even further. 

And that is troubling news indeed.

A little update on what I am working on.

"Uh oh."

So as I mentioned a while back I have been in contact with a source who has been providing me with fascinating information recently. Some of it simply reinforcing what we already know, and some of it quite new, and a little startling.

Before I start sharing, the first thing to get out of the way is all of this iceberg talk.

The term "iceberg" was coined by my friend Dennis Zaki, and at the time he felt that what was about to be revealed qualified as an iceberg that would literally sink Palin's political career.

As all of you know instead she resigned and the iceberg simply melted away. Much to our frustration.

I would not characterize what I am working on as an iceberg, mostly because Palin's political career already sank into the icy depths, and because there is not yet any way to determine what kind of impact this will have on what remains of her, for lack of a better word, "career."

The second thing I want to remind all of you about is that protecting my sources is job one in my eyes. So no matter how often commenters badger me to hurry up or risk losing my credibility, or suggest that I don't deliver on my promises, or simply mock me as if we are on an elementary school playground, none of that will make things happen any faster. 

As for my credibility remember that even though I was reporting interesting behind the scenes information about  Schaeffer Cox, I did not divulge that I was getting that from Bill "Drop Zone" Fulton until the FBI allowed him to come out of the shadows.

Even though he helped to shape our understanding on this blog about Palin's secretive nature, and revealed that Palin was not met by her security detail when she arrived back from Texas that April night in 2008, nobody knew that I had been talking to her security chief Gary Wheeler until Joe used his name in "The Rogue."

And that is going to be true in this case as well.

Which means that what I can share has to be weighed against what it reveals about the source. If it is something that only a handful of people could know, then it can only come out when the source themselves decides that they want to as well.

That could very well be what happens here. But it is still in the negotiation phase.

So what I can reveal at this point is that I have finally had a face to face meeting. That the person is very credible, and that there is documentation to back up their story.

What has been shared is quite a lot about the Palin's parenting styles (Spoiler alert: It's really terrible.), Palin's struggles as mayor, fighting within the family, and Todd's philandering. (It is worse than you think.)

There is more (Oh boy is there!), but that has to be kept on the down low for right now.

If you are not patient and want to run away and never visit this blog again, please feel free to do so and you really don't need to tell us about it in the comments.

If you are a troll who thinks that proclaiming I am liar, or a tease, or that I never follow through with revelations, then know that it will really have no significant impact. (However it's a free country so bash away if you must.)

Keep in mind though that Beldar has appropriated your job as IM's resident troll and has moved trolling to new heights that I seriously doubt that the majority of you are intellectually suited to attain.

Now I cannot provide a timetable as to when things are going to break because that is not the way things work. As I am sure most of you realize.

If you want to know my opinion on what I am hearing I will tell you this, when it gets posted it is going to make troll heads explode all over the damn place.

Oh yeah, all over the damn place. 

GOP choice for Oregon Senate seat is no show at candidate forum. Guess who she's getting compared to.

Courtesy of Raw Story: 

Trailing badly in the polls, the Oregon GOP nominee seeking to unseat Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley failed to show up for a candidate forum scheduled Saturday at her request. 

According to Willamette Week, embattled candidate Monica Wehby requested the interview with other nominees be scheduled for Saturday which the paper and other candidates agreed to. However when the time came for the taped interviews to begin, Wehby was a no-show. 

The paper explained that they scheduled the interview “back in July for a day and at a time Wehby’s campaign assured us she would be available. We even rescheduled the interview to suit her, as we did during the primary election campaign.” 

Editor Mark Zusman, who has overseen the paper’s endorsements for 30 years, says he can’t remember a statewide candidate ever failing to appear. 

Speaking with Oregon Live, Wehby campaign spokesman Dean Petrone stated that the candidate never agreed to attend, stating that Wehby had “had a full schedule” of campaign events Saturday. Petrone refused to say what the candidate did on Saturday, and denied she was trying to avoid her opponent. 

“It’s a ridiculous assertion,” Petrone said. “Monica is looking for any chance she could get to discuss the issues with Sen. Merkley.” 

On Friday, Wehby let the deadline pass and failed to confirm her participation in a debate hosted by KGW TV that her opponent agreed to in mid-August.

This of course has inspired some critics to make the obvious comparison. 

However I think this might be a little unfair.

I mean at least Sarah Palin actually got herself elected before she up and quit.

The most threatened President in US history, with what seems to be the least amount of protection.

Courtesy of Slate:  

When a man carrying a knife was able to jump the fence and sprint into the front door of the White House, many said it was symptomatic of larger issues with the Secret Service. A fascinating Washington Post piece today makes it clear just how true that is, recounting how it took four days for the Secret Service to even realize that someone had fired shots at the White House and that seven bullets had struck the upstairs residence in 2011. President Obama and his wife were out of town at the time but their younger daughter Sasha was at home with Michelle Obama’s mother. And Malia was expected back home any minute. 

When Oscar Ortega-Hernandez, a man who appeared increasingly paranoid about the U.S. government and seemingly obsessed with how President Obama “had to be stopped,” fired his semiautomatic rifle out of his car, Secret Service agents were quick to respond. But they were told to stand down, with superiors saying no shots had actually been fired. Even though agents seemed to know that was clearly not true—a pair of agents said they could smell gunpowder while another had heard debris fall from the Truman balcony—they stayed quiet, apparently out of fear of angering their superiors. In the end the conclusion was that two rival gangs had gotten into a gunfight near the White House lawn. 

It was only when a housekeeper found a broken window and a piece of concrete days later that agents began to realize what had happened. The president and first lady were understandably furious. Once the Secret Service actually started investigating, they quickly realized this was no small matter, finding $97,000 worth of damage. 

Mother Jones chimes in reminding us that President Obama has received three times as many threats as previous Presidents. Which of course is not surprising since virtually half of the country does not believe his presidency is valid, with a slightly smaller number not even believing that he was born in this country.

One would think that with the White House resident receiving this vast number of threats that the Secret Service would rise to the occasion and take extra precautions to ensure his safety, and yet there have been numerous cases, including the Colombian prostitution scandal, when it seems that this most respected of security forces seem to be simply phoning it.

I think it is time that somebody cleaned a little house, and perhaps made sure that the people who are the front line of defense in protecting the Commander-in-Chief took their job a little more seriously than those hired to protect clothing outlets in the malls of middle America.

If money really is now to be considered free speech, then the conservatives are screaming at the top of their lungs.

Courtesy of Salon:

There are no guarantees that future Democratic candidates will replicate Obama’s 2012 electoral success. The conservative financiers involved then regard the money that they spent that year as the initial down payment on a long-term investment, even if it did not immediately pay off. After the general election, Sheldon Adelson announced that he planned to “double” his investment in future races. “I happen to be in a unique business where winning and losing is the basis of the entire business. So I don’t cry when I lose. There’s always a new hand coming up. I know in the long run we’re going to win.” Marc Short, one of the strategists behind the political activities of Charles and David Koch, echoed that thought: “Our members are committed to the long term, not to one individual cycle.” 

In preparation for the long-term battle, these billionaires already have altered their campaign approach to maximize the odds of winning. After studying what went wrong with the 2012 campaign, individuals such as Adelson are aiming for a different kind of GOP nominee. According to Adelson’s friend Victor Chaltiel, “he doesn’t want a crazy extremist to be the nominee. He wants someone who has the chance to win the election, who is reasonable in his positions, who has convictions but is not totally crazy.” Meanwhile, Republican National Committee member Shawl Steel said that Adelson has learned from the 2012 defeat: “The candidate will have to have a strong resume—no sudden lightning-new guy—will have to build a formidable fundraising apparatus and really be emotionally tethered to bringing in middle-class Latinos, Asian Pacifics, Jews and blacks like never before.” 

Understanding the importance of the top conservative billionaires, GOP strategist and former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer said that one of the most important elements in the 2016 presidential campaign would be who would win the “Sheldon Primary.” Referring to the super-wealthy benefactor, Fleischer noted that “anybody running for the Republican nomination would want to have Sheldon at his side.” The same is true for Charles and David Koch. With their abundant resources, grassroots network, and willingness to spend to influence elections, their role in the GOP is of utmost importance. And like Adelson, they have sought to learn from 2012 and develop new electoral strategies. From their perspective, it is crucial to adapt to the political environment and alter public outreach strategies. James Davis of Freedom Partners, a Koch-financed group, said donors must test and refine their message: “Being in the field and testing during the slower periods, and in smaller areas, allows you to refine strategy and tactics so that you can make the larger investments with confidence.”

And if you are paying attention to what is happening in this midterm, you can already see how muhc money the Koch brothers and Adelson are pouring into campaigns, and how exactly that money is being spent. 

In Alaska for instance the Koch brothers have spent over one point three million dollars to defeat Senator Mark Begich, with plans to spend another five point five.

But this is just the beginning, the donations are flowing from what seems to be a bottomless pit of conservative money, and there seems to be no end in sight.

As Democrats we have the energy, the ideas, and the numbers. But if money is the deciding factor in who wins elections, then we are all but doomed.

That is why we HAVE to show up in huge number in 2014 and 2016.

We must show up in numbers too big to obscure with piles of money, be too loud to be quieted down by burying us under mountains of  cash, and too energized to be slowed down by purchasing obstacles to place in our way.

We are the future, and we must show them all that the future is not for sale.

Wonkette listens to Sarah Palin Channel videos so that you don't have to. The poor bastards!

Palin from the Vales Voters Summit pretending she can read.

So as you all know I have flat refused to buy a subscription to the Sarah Palin Channel website so I have not been keeping my breasts up to date (Did I say that right?) as to how deep the moose shit is flowing over there.

But fortunately (Or unfortunately if you prefer) Dan Weber of Wonkette continues to update his Sarah Palin Fartknocker Report.

In today's report we learn that Palin does not really understand Catholicism or bears, is still pissed her candidate in Mississippi lost, and is fed up with political types grifting money from innocent people in order to provide bad advice.

Hang on, the mind numbing hypocrisy of that last statement made me a little light headed.

Okay I've recovered somewhat.

First up Palin responds to a question from one of her six subscribers about how often she gets to fondle Todd's equipment:

We have a subscriber asking, ‘Sarah, has Todd ever let you take control of the floatplane? If so, how long were you allowed to pilot it?’ Do I get to take control of his [Cessna] 185, or his Piper Super Cub? Is a bear Catholic, does the Pope live in the woods? No, not often.

Wonkette points out that this is not a live feed and therefore Palin had plenty of time to go back and change this response, but nope she wants to be unfiltered so unfiltered she remains.

Next the Wasilla Wendigo pisses and moans about her man Chris McDaniel losing in Mississippi and whose fault that was. (Here's a hint she does not think it's hers.)

These people who want the R by their name, they think that that’s how they’re gonna get elected, we need to have great discernment, find out who they are, and find alternatives to these RINOs. [...] We’re all incredibly disappointed by the, gosh, those tactics that the GOP machine, the Establishment, the Man, that they used in Mississippi against Chris McDaniel, an excellent, excellent patriot. [...] 

Yeah those tactics they used against McDaniel were just awful.

I mean how dare Senator Thad Cochran encourage more people, even those who are not traditionally considered Republican or conservative, to vote for him. What, does he think that the Republican party wants to expand their numbers or something?

And speaking of the kinds of people who give politicians advice to do things like reach out to independent voters,or pander to women, or Mexicans, or other brown skin people, Palin has no use for them. Oh no she doesn't!

Sometimes you have good candidates but they have GOP establishment, smooth-talkin’, knucklehead consultants as their advisors. We need to discourage good candidates from thinking that these, DC especially, advisors who are out of touch with, just, normal, everyday Americans, that these advisors know best. Especially advisors with really, really poor records. 

They’re dumb, consultants, sometimes they’re dumb, and they almost always give horrible advice, I find. They try to shape and mold the candidate. Instead of letting a good candidate just be that good candidate, that got ‘em to where they are, well now, these advisors come in, y’know they come ridin’ in, what they want to have perceived as the white horse, and they’re gonna save this campaign, and in the meantime they screw up a lot of things. 

So these consultants, I’m not impressed. and yet they keep gettin hired! They’re making hand over fist, they’re making big bucks off innocent contributors to candidates, to campaigns, not knowin’ that a lot of their money is going to these professional politicians, because they’re professional political consultants…well, that’s part of the problem. [...] Again, we live and learn, and we come back stronger. 

Oh I definitely have to agree here that the idiots who take money from innocent people while endorsing or giving advice to conservative candidates are just the lowest of the low.

I mean WHAT kind of POS would do that for a living? Especially when their advice is SO bad and does nothing to help the candidate, and in fact might ultimately doom their campaign?

You know I don't want to tell Sarah Palin how to live her life or anything (Yes I do!), but just perhaps she might consider playing some of these video back before posting them on her site.

And maybe, just maybe, having somebody who is not paid to kiss her skinny wrinkled ass listen to them as well might not be the worst idea either. Just a thought.

Can I just say that even I underestimated the Right Wing vitriol Chelsea Clinton's baby would attract?

Courtesy of Crooks and Liars:  

The NY Post is Rupert Murdoch's signature right wing rag in New York and it often is as offensive as many of the pundits that appear on Fox News. Today's front page is no different as it openly attacks Chelsea Clinton's new born baby. 

In their Page Six celebrity gossip section, they posted a normal story of the birth, but somehow that didn't translate into the front page we are seeing.Their hatred and fear of Hillary Clinton now extends to new born babies.

Wow! Seriously all I have to say is Wow!

Highest ranking Vatican official ever investigated for sex abuse found to have tens of thousands of child porn videos and pictures on his computer.

Courtesy of the International Business Times: 

A former Vatican archbishop accused of paedophilia stored tens of thousands of child porn videos and photos on a computer in his office at the Holy See diplomatic compound in the Dominican Republic, it has emerged. 

Details of Jozef Wesolowski's massive child porn stash have been revealed after the 66-year-old was arrested at the Vatican earlier this week. 

He is the highest-ranking Vatican official ever to be investigated for sex abuse, and the first top papal representative to receive a defrocking sentence. He has been charged with sexually abusing minors and child porn possession and might face up to seven years in the Vatican's tiny jail. 

Vatican detectives analysed the PC Wesolowski used in his office in Santo Domingo, where he served as Holy See envoy from 2008 to 2012 as part of an investigation into the alleged sexual abuse of underage boys. 

The probe reportedly revealed a collection of horrors. The Polish native held more than 100,000 sexually-explicit files, Il Corriere della Sera newspaper reported. 

Some 160 videos showing teenage boys forced to perform sexual acts on themselves and on adults and more than 86,000 pornographic photos were meticulously archived in several category-based folders, the paper said. 

Investigators said that at least another 45,000 pictures were deleted, while a second stash of material was found on a laptop Wesolowski used during his trips abroad.

You know I think we are WAY past the time when we can simply chalk all of these Catholic priest sex crimes to a mere coincidence that so many pedophiles decided on their own to enter the priesthood simply as a way to keep themselves away from temptation or to fight their "sinful" urges through prayer, and to entertain the possibility that some of them either entered the priesthood well aware that they could satisfy their urges behind the protection of the church, or that they were in fact recruited by other pedophile priests in order to develop a brotherhood who would watch each others backs.

There is a database of publicly accused priests in the United States alone. And if you visit it you are immediately overwhelmed by the vast number of priests who have been accused of sexually abusing minors in this country. And of course that does not take into account the even larger number of accused or convicted priests from all around the world.

At this point it just seems to me that this was an organization that not only accepted a certain deviant lifestyle, but may in fact have welcomed it or, dare I say, promoted it.

Just for a moment ask yourself whether or not if this same scandal had befallen a Fortune 500 company, famous sports team, or political party, would any of those have manged to survived intact?

In my opinion, no.

And the fact that the Catholic church still stands, and continues to reveal that it is infested with this type of individual, I think speaks to the fact that the church leaders have really done nothing to rid themselves of any potential predators and have instead simply closed ranks and hidden behind the cloak of religious authority which has protected them for centuries.

And if something does not change there are undoubtedly more children who will suffer at the hands of an unrepentant organization that cares more for its access to power and reputation as a religious juggernaut than it does for those it claims to want to protect and steer toward a sinless life.

Sarah Palin rubs her hands on cold reptilian skin (And touches an alligator too.), while supporting a third party candidate who will ultimately help the Democrat win in Louisiana.

Courtesy of The Time-Picayune:  

Palin attended an event for Senate candidate Rob Maness at Restaurant des Familles in Crown Point. Following the speech, Maness surprised the former Alaska governor with a three-foot gator. (As somebody mentioned earlier, I think perhaps the wrong mouth is taped closed in that picture.)

The visit from the scaly guest -- courtesy of Insta-Gator Ranch in Covington -- was met with zydeco music and a standing ovation from the 100-plus Maness supporters in attendance. (Wow, a hundred people. I wonder how many of them came to support Manness and how many were attracted to the opportunity to see a scaly reptilian monster up close? Oh and a little alligator too.)

"She just laughed about it," Maness said. "She's a warrior for American and a warrior for freedom. I'm honored to get her endorsement, but I'm honored she's prioritized our campaign."

Well he's right about that "warrior" part, that is exactly the Sarah Palin that those party goers in Anchorage witnessed at the beginning of the month. Not exactly convinced that she is a warrior for anything except keeping people from filming her family while they drunkenly attack innocent people however.

Here are a few of the pearls of stupidity that fell from Palin's cavernous maw during this appearance:


"He knows the issues and what Washington, D.C., does to a state like Louisiana," Palin said. "We need a fighter in D.C. that doesn't just go with the flow." (Oops, she's trotting out bon mots from all the way back in 2009. Did someone forget to pay the ghostwriter?)

"Rob has the added challenge of going up against the establishment. The folks in the GOP are in it for a season, not a reason. It's a business for them," Palin said. "Rob is standing up for the average, hardworking American who is saying, 'Enough is enough.' The status quo has got to go."  (Oooh, a rhyme. That's better.)


"Mary (Landrieu) has tried to have it both ways. When you're in the middle of the road, you get hit on both sides," Palin said. (Well somebody certainly got an extra piece of moose sausage for thinking up THAT one!)

"It's the last few weeks that are needed. That's what's going to push us over the finish line. It's the momentum," Palin said.

I think perhaps Palin's ghostwriter might want to look the word "momentum" up for  Crocodile Dumb-dee. It usually does NOT mean stumbling blindly and fading into the background.

You know I was wondering how Maness could could afford to get Palin to come to his little reptilian shindig, and I think it just might be possible that she was comped by the Mary Landrieu campaign.

Because let's face it, having Maness involved in this race does nothing but help the Democrats in the long run. 

(P.S. For the hardy souls among you there is a little video of the appearance here from WWL.)

The Values Voters folks demonstrate once and for all that their "values" lead them to choosing the worst candidates imaginable for President.

  Courtesy of the Washington Post: 

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) has come in first in the Values Voter Summit presidential straw poll for the second year running. Receiving 25 percent of the votes cast, down from 42 percent in 2013, Cruz was the favorite for the 2016 Republican president nomination among the 2,000 social conservatives activists at the conference. 

Dr. Ben Carson, the former neurosurgeon, was second in the poll with 20 percent of the vote, up from 13 percent last year, while former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee came in third with 12 percent. Other speakers at this year's summit include Rick Santorum, who was fourth with 10 percent, and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, fifth with 7 percent.

Holy crap!

The first, second, and third choice was the guy that thinks we are about to throw Lorne Michaels in jail, the guy who thinks Obamacare is worse than 9-11, and the guy who said that women needed government to help them control their libido?

All I can say to the idea of any of these three imbeciles being chosen as the GOP nominee in 2016, is "Yes please!"

Update: Even among this group of mental midgets Palin was only able to garner nine votes. 

Damn, how many forks is that now sticking out of her?

Finally the secret to my extraordinary health revealed. Writing.

Courtesy of Arts.mic:  

The benefits of writing go far beyond building up your vocabulary. 

No matter the quality of your prose, the act of writing itself leads to strong physical and mental health benefits, like long-term improvements in mood, stress levels and depressive symptoms. In a 2005 study on the emotional and physical health benefits of expressive writing, researchers found that just 15 to 20 minutes of writing three to five times over the course of the four-month study was enough to make a difference. 

By writing about traumatic, stressful or emotional events, participants were significantly more likely to have fewer illnesses and be less affected by trauma. Participants ultimately spent less time in the hospital, enjoyed lower blood pressure and had better liver functionality than their counterparts. 

It turns out writing can make physical wounds heal faster as well. In 2013, New Zealand researchers monitored the recovery of wounds from medically necessary biopsies on 49 healthy adults. The adults wrote about their thoughts and feelings for just 20 minutes, three days in a row, two weeks before the biopsy. Eleven days later, 76% of the group that wrote had fully healed. Fifty-eight percent of the control group had not recovered. The study concluded that writing about distressing events helped participants make sense of the events and reduce distress. 

Even those who suffer from specific diseases can improve their health through writing. Studies have shown that people with asthma who write have fewer attacks than those who don't; AIDS patients who write have higher T-cell counts. Cancer patients who write have more optimistic perspectives and improved quality of life.

And THAT my friends is why I will live forever.

Okay that might be an exaggeration, but perhaps it really does have something to do with the fact that I never get sick.

I almost hate to say that out loud, because of course that is exactly when you WOULD suddenly get sick, but for the last ten years it has been absolutely true.

In fact so strong is my resistance to illness, that I was the go to guy to take kids to the nurses office when we had a huge flu outbreak in the elementary school that I worked at a few years back.

By the end almost everybody, including the school nurse, had been stricken and forced to take time off, except for myself and a small handful of other hearty souls.

Though I never get a flu shot I have not had the illness in well over twenty years. I have also not had a cold or fever in more than ten, and besides a small tickle in my throat, that I get once a year like clockwork, I have exhibited no symptoms of any kind.

Could it be the constant writing?

Well that seems to be just about as good a reason as any. Though to be honest I also work out at least five days a week, and eat pretty healthy.

However writing allows me to pour all of the potentially toxic thoughts swirling in my brain out onto the internet, where they are not only shared with others but also attract positive feedback, which cannot help but have a beneficial impact.

By purging myself of information that I find troubling in written form, I essentially exorcise my own demons and keep both mind and body ticking along nicely.

And people wonder what motivates me. Well now you know.

Never has the difference between Creationism and Evolution been explained quite so well.

And there you have it.

Last night's New Rules referenced not only the Alaska reporter who quit to fight for the legalization of pot, but also our very own quitter-in-chief.

I was happy to see that Maher covered Charlo Greene's dramatic exit, and therefore Alaska's efforts to legalize marijuana, but somewhat less than happy to see him use Palin to suggest that we are all just a bunch of quitters.

The hell we are! We are a dogged and determined bunch as will be more than obvious in the weeks to come.

By the way I could not find the entire New Rules segement on one YouTube video, so here is part two. It doesn't take a shot at Palin, but it is still pretty good.

According to a Republican member of the House Armed Services Committee, there are GOP Congressmen encouraging generals to publicly resign if they don't like orders from the President. Am I wrong in thinking that's not okay?

Courtesy of Medium.com: 

Members of Congress have been talking to U.S. generals behind the scenes and urging them to publicly resign “in a blaze of glory” if they disagree with how the White House is handling conflicts in the Middle East, according to U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn of Colorado. 

The Republican member of the House Armed Services Committee made the remarks at a Sept. 23 liberty group meeting in the basement of a Colorado Springs bar … following a kilt-wearing contest. 

During a question-and-answer portion of the forum, a service member urged Lamborn to work with his congressional colleagues in both parties to “support the generals and the troops in this country despite the fact that there is no leadership from the Muslim Brotherhood in the White House.” 

“You know what, I can’t add anything to that, but do let me reassure you on this,” Lamborn said. “A lot of us are talking to the generals behind the scenes, saying, ‘Hey, if you disagree with the policy that the White House has given you, let’s have a resignation.’” 

“‘You know, let’s have a public resignation, and state your protest, and go out in a blaze of glory,’” Lamborn continued. “And I haven’t seen that very much, in fact I haven’t seen that at all in years.”

I am no legal expert but isn't that possibly an act of treason?

Treason

1. the offense of acting to overthrow one's government or to harm or kill its sovereign. 
2. a violation of allegiance to one's sovereign or to one's state. 
3. the betrayal of a trust or confidence; breach of faith; treachery.

Hey whatta you know it is.

Seriously what in the hell is wrong with Republicans these days?

The President is essentially doing exactly what they want him to do to fight the so-called terrorist threat and they are still treating him like he is working with ISIS to overthrow the country.

The man killed Osama Bin laden! That alone should excuse him from any, and all criticism, from the party of warmongers.

And I think the justice Department should investigate what this Lamborn guy said, and if there is any validity to it, then there should be serious consequences.

I mean seriously can any of you imagine what would have happened to Democratic Congressmen if they had engaged in this type of behavior during the Bush administration?

Well this is certainly going to freak out the Right Wing. Update!

Marc and I are full of love, awe and gratitude as we celebrate the birth of our daughter, Charlotte Clinton Mezvinsky.
— Chelsea Clinton (@ChelseaClinton) September 27, 2014

Courtesy of ABC News:  

Bill and Hillary Clinton are grandparents. The couple's daughter, Chelsea Clinton, has given birth to her first child, a daughter named Charlotte. 

Clinton spokesman Kamyl Bazbaz said the child was born on Friday but did not immediately provide additional details. The couple lives in New York City. The Clintons quickly retweeted their daughter's message on Twitter but did not immediately comment on the baby's arrival.

One can only imagine how upset this will make the Right Wing.

I mean come on, she finished college, got a job, and then only got pregnant AFTER she was married.

How un-American is that?

Well at least I know who I get to vote for in 2052.

Assuming of course that I am still here to do so.

Update:

 Have you noticed that the freakout has already begun?

Today Sarah Palin goes to Louisiana to doom another campaign, and devour reptilian carcasses.

Courtesy of USA Today:  

Sarah Palin is lending her Tea Party star power to Republican Rob Maness, who is running an insurgent campaign in Louisiana’s Senate race against incumbent Democrat Mary Landrieu. 

Republican Rep. Bill Cassidy is the party favorite in the race, but Maness, a retired Air Force officer, says he intends to stay in the race, fueling a familiar establishment vs. Tea Party narrative in GOP races this year.

However as usual this year the Tea Party challenger is struggling to gain momentum in what is now really a two person race. Which has inspired the Maness campaign to run on the power of denial:

...while Maness may have put forward proposals on, for instance, energy and national security, his campaign has also been dogged by stories it is running out of money (Maness disputes them and notes he is still on the trail) and polls that generally show him a distant third behind Mary Landrieu and Bill Cassidy.

Which has really moved the campaign from the merely hopeful to the truly pathetic, as evidenced by the invitation that the Maness campaign handed out concerning today's event: 

The Maness campaign sent an invitation to its #OneOfUs endorsers, key volunteers and some political figures. The campaign is asking those who attend to bring one truly undecided voter. There's no cost to attend.

"While the two Washington politicians are downing out one another in negative, misleading ads, Rob is surging in the polls just by traveling over 80,000 miles in his Ford F-150 to all 64 parishes holding over 43 town halls and listening to every Louisianan he can," the invitation read. "Rob's candidacy is confounding the 'experts' and is going to shock the establishment on Election Day."

Oh yeah, denial.

Which may help to explain while Maness, more than any other Teabagger candidate this elections cycle has clung as tightly to the Palin endorsement.

In fact Maness is so proud of the Grizzled Mama's kiss of death that he has several videos of he and Palin on his campaign website.

Here's just one:

Oh yeah, she should really turn this whole thing around for Manness.

Sean Parnell requests resignation of civilian deputy commissioner for the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.

Sarah Palin with McHugh Pierre.

Courtesy of Alaska Dispatch: McHugh Pierre, civilian deputy commissioner for the Alaska Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, has resigned at the request of Gov. Sean Parnell, according to a spokesperson for the governor. 

"The Office of the Governor requested his resignation this week," Parnell spokesperson Sharon Leighow said in an email Thursday evening. 

Pierre's departure comes as his close affiliation with Alaska National Guard commander Maj. Gen. Thomas Katkus is under intensified scrutiny. Katkus' was the first head to roll in the wake of Parnell's efforts to clean up a laundry list of command failures noted by outside investigators called in by Parnell to the get to the bottom of low morale, distrust and real and perceived wrongs within the Guard, including the alleged mishandling of sexual assaults and a feeling that assailants were protected instead of being dealt with.

It seems that Pierre may have been heavily involved in covering up some of the unseemly behavior at the Recruiting and Retention department of the National Guard, which included allegations of fraud, sexual assault, inappropriate relationships, and the misuse of government vehicles.

Interestingly enough the time period identified for many of these events is between 2008 and 2009. Hmm who was in charge of the state back then?

By the way Pierre was hand picked to be the spokesperson for the Republican party, Randy Ruedrich's old job, by none other than Sarah Palin herself.

Oh and he was also the guy who accidentally revealed that the McCain campaign did not send anybody up here to vet Palin until AFTER she was chosen as his VP candidate.

He also used to substitute for Eddi Burke on his old talk radio show once in a while.

Oh yeah Sarah Palin's fingerprints are all over this guy.

You know, figuratively speaking of course. We'll assume.

New GOP ad sets out to convince Americans that Republicans are people too. Nice try.

Courtesy of Mediaite:  

A new video from a veteran of Mitt Romney‘s 2012 campaign seeks to end the “partisan vitriol” aimed at the GOP by helpfully informing people that there are Republicans out there who read the New York Times in public, drive hybrid cars, have dark skin, and/or have a beard and tattoos. They also sometimes purchase and then put together Ikea furniture.

Well according to this advertisement Republicans are just like the rest of us, and supposedly they have feelings too.

Really? Then how do you explain this guy?

And here's the thing, if you have to actually create an ad to convince people that you are also people, doesn't that say something fundamental about your humanity?

This is how I have viewed church since I was seven years old.

Apparently if Sarah Palin HAD been elected Vice President, she would not have been able to find the White House. Update!

The above of course is from Palin's speech at the Values Voters Summit today.

The transcript is courtesy of our friends over at Politicususa:

The lies that they tell about you. Calling you the intolerant ones, the haters, the bigots. Oh, and that disgusting charge of being racist. I’m speaking to the most slandered group in America today. (What did I tell you?) Join me in telling the lamestream media then that we wear your scorn with pride. (Well good because I give it with pride.) The lies that you tell about us, well you can’t defeat our arguments, so all you can do is change the subject, so we win. (So is she saying there WASN'T a brawl on September 6th in Anchorage where her family go their asses kicked?)

And pulling that race card, pulling the race card, how much longer they’re gonna. It’s not even smart. It’s not even smart when one simply wants our government to live within its means and to not tax us to and beyond death. Not to mortgage our kids future, and that being for today’s selfish wants. Because of that we’re racists? (No it's because of all the racist crap you say.) Well what isn’t isn’t smart is trying to slap that on Col. Allen West, Dr. Ben Carson, and JC Watts, and Raphael and Ted Cruz, and my husband Todd Palin. (Wait, Todd? She is seriously going to use Todd as proof that the Teabaggers aren't racist?) Yeah, no those truly prejudiced folks just remember this. They scream racism just to end debate. Well, don’t retreat. You reload with truth which I know is an endangered species at 1400 Pennsylvania Avenue anyway.

Wait, I'm sorry did she say "1400 Pennsylvania Avenue?"

What's at 1400 Pennsylvania Avenue?

Did they move the White House?

Or is it actually possible that the woman who feels perfectly comfortable lecturing liberals about how ignorant they are has no freaking idea where the most famous house in America is located?

Not that she cares of course.

Oops maybe she does care.

Doggone it! That explains why my Christmas cards keeps getting returned! pic.twitter.com/j4M35K963i
— Sarah Palin (@SarahPalinUSA) September 26, 2014

Ah self depreciating humor. Always welcome.

Not exactly a substitute for intelligence however.

Update: Here is the entire speech for the masochists among us. (Palin starts at the 2:45 mark)

I think I will listen to it in segments in between sips of wine.

If I hear anything interesting I might update or put it in the comments. 

Update 2: Just received this.

 Does she still have that red, white, and blue nail polish on?

Jon Stewart takes on the Right Wing fear mongers, and kinda loses it over "Coffee-gate."

Click image to play video

Yes, they are actually calling this "coffe-gate."

I loved the end of the segment:

"So fuck you, and all your false patriotism. When Bush took us to war any criticism was shouted down as treasonous. But a President you don't like has the country poised on the same precipice, no transgression no matter how immaterial and ridiculous is too small to cite as evidence that this President isn't as American as you are. You want a hot cup of cognitive dissonance watch this."

Stewart then shows a clip of Hannity interviewing Rove about this salute during which Rove refers to the President as a "Chai swilling, golf playing, basketball trash talking, leading from behind, I got no strategy, Osama Bin laden is dead, GM is alive, community organizing Commander-in-Chief.

Followed by : "How disrespectful was that?"

Stewart then refers to Rove as "Palin in a bald cap."

And then shows this:

Stewart summed it all up thusly:

"Here we've got two Presidents, both sending the United States to war citing the same legal authorities, both without any seeming exit strategy, and both holding shit in their hands while saluting our troops. But in their diseased minds (Photo of Cheney and Fox News hosts) only one did that because he loved America. The other did it because he hated it."

Now THAT was the Jon Stewart I know and adore.

P.S. By the way this was not the only great segment last night. The Daily Show also aired their rather controversial piece on the Redskins, and it was also a must see.

South Carolina high school student insulted and threatened with punishment for refusing to stand during Pledge.

The original pledge.

Courtesy of American Humanist Association:  

Today the American Humanist Association’s Appignani Humanist Legal Center sent a letter to officials at the Beaufort County School District in Beaufort, South Carolina, on behalf of an anonymous student who has been denied his constitutional rights to refrain from participating in the school’s daily Pledge of Allegiance exercise. 

The student, a ninth grader at Right Choices Alternative School, identifies as an atheist and opposes the phrase “under God” in the Pledge. When he has attempted to remain seated at his desk in a quiet and undisruptive manner during the Pledge recitation, his teacher has instructed him to stand, has told him that school policy requires him to stand and has also threatened him with punishment. In addition, the teacher has argued with the student about his atheism, has questioned the student’s patriotism and has insisted that his actions are offensive to members of the U.S. armed services. The student contacted the American Humanist Association’s Appignani Humanist Legal Center through the organization’s DontSaythePledge.com campaign website. 

“Threatening a student with punishment simply for exercising his or her right to sit out the Pledge demonstrates a shocking disregard for the rights of free speech and religious freedom,” said David Niose, legal director of the Appignani Humanist Legal Center. 

“No one should have her or his patriotism questioned for objecting to the phrase ‘under God’ in the Pledge of Allegiance,” said Roy Speckhardt, executive director of the American Humanist Association. “Doing so marginalizes humanist and atheist kids as second-class citizens merely for exercising their constitutional rights.”

You know at first I was not sure that this whole sitting down during the Pledge of Allegiance would have any impact, but this is starting to look promising.

 My fantasy is that they apply enough pressure that the words "under God" are forever removed from the pledge.

And you know, that might not be such an impossible thing to accomplish. Especially when you consider the fact that the words were put in there in 1954 in response to pressure from the Knights of Columbus.

Of course my next fantasy is about doing away with a nationalist pledge altogether, but perhaps it's best to take these things one at a time.

Here is video of Sarah Palin's press conference yesterday in Joplin. Bring two forks, as there is plenty of word sausage to go around.

Click authentic faux yellow leather biker old lady jacket to play video.

This is a press conference that Palin did concerning her speech for Lifechoices, an anti-abortion group masquerading as a sex and pregnancy resource center.

Palin pulls out all of the stops here.

First she refers to the "resiliency" of the people, undoubtedly referencing the tornado that devastated the area in 2011, and calls them "overcomers." Which of course makes them sound like habitual masturbators.


Then she goes on:  

"I was happy to be chosen, well invited anyway, because when we talk about less than ideal circumstances, I've been there. I've been there and I'm going to talk about that tonight and speak candidly about it. (Wanna bet?)

Palin then says how happy she is that Lifechoices has asked her to be candid, because most of the time her job is to be political and this time she gets to talk about what is near and dear to her heart. (Wait, she has a job?)

Palin then claims that her family's "hardships" were easier to deal with because of the strong and loving family "network" that is in place. (From what I have heard recently that may be the biggest Palin lie of all.)

She then lists the "hardships" as her own pregnancy, her daughter's"unplanned" pregnancy,  the diagnosis that Trig had Down syndrome when she was twelve weeks pregnant, Track about to be deployed to a war zone, the fact that she was at the time Governor of Alaska, and then of course the call from John McCain to be the vice presidential candidate.

I found it interesting that of all of the "hardships" she rattled off, that really the only one that she did not actually plan was Bristol's pregnancy. All of the others she orchestrated in one way or another.

It is after the last question concerning what she plans to talk about at the fundraiser where some serious word salad gets tossed.

"I'll be able to, even though I'm not going to get political, it's kind of in my blood, I'm going to be able to relate to the tumultuous world that we are in today. People seeking real answers, real hope, they're seeking peace. They're...they're seeking solutions to things that they see and feel that are out of their control. Just like a young mother with that diagnosis you know of being pregnant unexpectedly. A lot of things that she would be feeling too, more centralized of course, more personalized. Being able to, through the experiences that we've gone through, experiences that your clients have gone through, being able to translate that into a bigger picture about what's going on in our world. Less than ideal circumstances how we handle'em. How we can make this world a better place by all of us making healthy choices as individuals, as families, as communities, and then as a nation."

Uhhhhh....WTF?

So if I understand that right, and I have no confidence that I do, Palin is saying that she is going to relate an unexpected pregnancy to a world at war, terrorism making us feel less safe at home, and how we can conquer all of that by following Michelle Obama's advice about making healthy choices?

Is that right?

Is it too early to start drinking?

Well in news that is easier to understand, the Daily Mail, Palin's favorite British newspaper, has posted an article taking note of the fact that she wore her wedding ring to the Roberts fundraiser, after earlier making a big deal over the fact that it was missing, and using that as an excuse to once again talk about the drunken brawl in Anchorage.

So it appears that, though there is little new to report, the brawl lives on in the minds of journalists around the world.

Gotta love that!

Louisiana congressional candidate, and cousin to the Duck Dynasty dipshits, blames the Sandy Hook massacre on Atheism. Wait, what?

Courtesy of Buzzfeed:  

Zach Dasher, the cousin of the Duck Dynasty family who is challenging incumbent Republican Rep. Vance McAllister in Louisiana’s 5th Congressional district, once blamed atheism for the Sandy Hook school shooting. 

Before running for Congress, Dasher was the proprietor of the website Willingtothink.org, which bills itself as a website and podcast “a website and podcast dedicated to encouraging folks to be willing to think about the deeper questions in life.”

“These children that were killed in Connecticut were made for purpose and to be honest with you even the killer himself was made for a purpose,” Dasher said on one podcast titled “Why did this happen,” which discussed the Sandy Hook shootings. 

Dasher says the Adam Lanza, the shooter, was “made in the image of God” but started to believe “what the atheist says.” 

“He was made in the image of God,” he said. “But somewhere along the way he believed what the atheist says. He reduced humanity to nothing more than a collection of atoms, to be discarded like an old banana peel. I guarantee you, now this is my hypothesis, that even saw himself as nothing more than chemicals.”

Yes, of course that makes perfect sense that once you stop believing in an omnipotent sky daddy, that of course you start murdering your fellow human beings. 

Which of course, as you know, is backed up by sound research that can be found in the scientific journal entitled "Facts I Pulled Right Out of My Ass."

( Hey I guess we should simply be impressed that at least this Right Wing nutjob doesn't think the Sandy Hook shootings were an elaborate hoax.)

Personally I am getting sick and tired of  Atheists being blamed for EVERYTHING these days.

The next thing you know they will start blaming us for the low attendance at church and a reduction in religious belief in America. (Oh you know what? Those might be our fault.)

Now if you are thinking to yourself, "Hey I have totally seen this dim bulb someplace before," that is because you have totally seen this dim bulb someplace before:

Yep, just another winner endorsed by the Wasilla Wendigo.

Kind of makes me wonder just how low your IQ has to be before Palin will give your campaign her cloven hoof of approval? I'm guessing the low 80's.

Hey speaking of low IQ's there is now a Duck Dynasty video game where you have to perform certain tasks in order to "become a Robertson."

Which is kind of interesting since Dasher also said the following: 

“Porn and video games are the most obvious symptoms of what is wrong with our culture but they of themselves are not the core problem,” Dasher said. “Those are the symptoms. So some people want to blame this on porn and video games. Look, does it contribute? Yes. Is it the core of the cause? No. These are also symptoms.”

You know maybe the next time that Dasher gets invited to go deep into the wilderness with the heavily armed Robertson clan he might consider taking a pass.

They might be all about forgiving sins, but costing them money on merchandising? Probably not so much.